Nicole On Fire

Nicole Warne is one of the most sought after creatives in the digital realm. The grounded, self-made Australian star talks to Azza Arif about the importance of giving every child a permanent home, her ongoing eco-anxiety, and how being kind to everyone you meet is crucial when it comes to success

- Azza Arif

Nicole Warne exudes an inner strength that has always been at the core of her identity and stellar career in the digital wave. She is empowering without being overpowering; strong yet kind; intelligent and beautiful—she is everything a role model should be. Her stellar ascent over the past 10 years started after she opened up her own vintage e-commerce empire, Gary Pepper Vintage, and she built that name up to become more than just a vintage clothing enterprise. Nicole built a whole persona around Gary Pepper Girl and continued to capitalise on her soaring popularity. “I am not a competitive person with anyone but myself, especially when I was younger,” she confides after we wrapped out our cover photoshoot. “I was very, very driven and ambitious, and definitely didn’t have room to fail because I don’t come from money, and my parents lived in a different state, so if it didn’t work out, I had no security blanket to fall back on. And I am grateful for that because those nerves and that fear pushed me to keep going.”